Gopi Shankar Madurai (born 13 April 1991) is an Indian equal rights and Indigenous rights activist. Shankar was one of the youngest, and the first openly intersex and genderqueer statutory authority and one of the candidates to contest in 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election. Shankar is also the founder of Srishti Madurai Student Volunteer Collective. Shankar's work inspired the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) to direct the Government of Tamil Nadu to order a ban on forced sex-selective surgeries on intersex infants. In December 2017, Shankar was elected to the executive board of ILGA Asia. In August 2020, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment appointed Shankar as the South Regional representative in the National Council for Transgender Persons.
Early life
Shankar was born as Sarvapunya in Sellur slum at Madurai, Tamil Nadu. At the age of fourteen, Shankar started volunteering Ramakrishna Mission. Later Shankar was accepted as a probationer for being a monk at Ramakrishna Math. In 2005, Shankar was given spiritual initiation under the spiritual lineage of Swami Vivekananda by Swami Gitanandaji (Former Vice-president of Ramakrishna Math and Mission) who is also a disciple of Swami Virajananda. During Shankar's tenure in Ramakrishna Math, Shankar served as the assistant to the editor of Sri Ramakrishna Vijayam Magazine.
In April 2010 Shankar left Ramakrishna Math to pursue Religion, Philosophy, and Sociology studies at The American College in Madurai (affiliated to Madurai Kamaraj University). Gopi is a student of Yoga for more than 15 years and served as Yoga Instructor for 5 years. Shankar taught Yoga for free to more than 5000 children and Indian Philosophy class for many westerners including Tony MacMahon of Ireland. Shankar partly freelanced the New Horizon Media Pvt Ltd (Tamil Publications). Shankar was awarded a Leadership Degree "Leading Change" exclusively for The Queen's Young Leaders from the University of Cambridge in 2017.
Social activism
Shankar is founder of Srishti Madurai Volunteer Movement one of the first inclusive non-funded pro bono group of its kind which has involved academicians, Independent scholars, human rights activist, environmentalists, animal rights activists and LGBTQIA, genderqueer activists aiming to protect the Indigenous traditions. In October 2011 Shankar launched India's first helpline for genderqueer, LGBTQIA people at Madurai. Later in June 2013 the helpline turned to offer service for 24 hours with a tagline Just having someone understanding to talk to can save a life. Shankar also organized Asia's first Genderqueer Pride Parade at Madurai. Shankar also introduced LGBTQIA courses in few schools and universities curricula. Shankar was also a young panelist to share chair in University Grants Commission of India (UGC) and Indian Council of Social Sciences Research (ICSSR) sponsored National Seminars in India, Shankar conducted more than 85 Seminars, Interactive sessions on Gender & Sexuality for 8000 students in Madurai. Shankar coined the regional Tamil terms for genderqueer people and wrote Maraikkappatta Pakkangal the first book on Gender-Variants in Tamil. In April 2015, Shankar was invited by Tiruchi Siva to witness the passing of historical Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014 at Rajya Sabha upper house of the Parliament of India. For contributions as a gender minority to Hinduism, Shankar was presented "Young Hindu Award" by writer Aravindan Neelakandan, Joe D Cruz at 6th Hindu Spiritual Services Fair.
Shankar petitioned the case of Asian Games medalist Santhi Soundarajan who was stripped of her medal after a gender test to the State and Central Government. Shankar launched multiple complaints on behalf of athlete Santhi in National Commission for Scheduled Castes and National Human Rights Commission of India also initiated Justice For Santhi Campaign which was instrumental in fetching her a permanent posting as athletic coach in Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority in December 2016.
Shankar was a speaker at WorldPride Madrid Summit 2017. Shankar shared chair with Federico Mayor Zaragoza Director-General of UNESCO, Myrna Cunningham of United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and Zanele Muholi (Artivist) for the historic MADRID SUMMIT DECLARATION.
The State Council of Educational Research and Training under Government of Tamil Nadu has called Shankar to give inputs on Sex, Gender and Sexuality studies for the 2017 New School Curriculum Development Committee of Tamil Nadu to include LGBTQIA+ community in school studies. Shankar was also part of the panel on Theological Reader on Gender & Sexuality for National Council of Churches in India.